Stephen Elop, the former top boss at phone-maker Nokia, is one of four high-level executives leaving Microsoft Corp as the company hones its focus on software services and the cloud, Chief Executive Satya Nadella announced on Wednesday. The departure of Elop, whose Devices group will be rolled into Microsoft's Windows unit, signals a shift of emphasis away from hardware and back to Microsoft's core business.

As part of the stunning news that Microsoft will buy Nokia for EUR 5.44 billion in cash (about $7.17 billion), CEO Steve Ballmer told employees that Stephen Elop "will be coming back to Microsoft. Elop will become the new top dog for Microsoft's "devices" unit, responsible for the Surface PC.

When Microsoft's then CEO Steve Ballmer proposed buying Nokia to shore up the company's foundering mobile phone division, Satya Nadella thought it would be a mistake.
Four years later, he hasn't changed his mind.
In his new book, "Hit Refresh," Nadella, who replaced Ballmer as Microsoft CEO, says he unsuccessfully tried to dissuade his predecessor from purchasing Nokia.

Felix Salmon: Chart of the day, Microsoft edition:
The numbers speak for themselves, really: over the course of Steve Ballmer’s tenure as Microsoft CEO, the company’s stock price has gone nowhere, its market share has plunged — but its headcount has more than trebled. And that’s before adding another 32,000 employees as part of the Nokia acquisition.
Ben Thompson has a very smart analysis of Microsoft’s move here: